Wellness in the Valley with Paulette Edington

 In this episode of Wellness in the Valley, we sit down with Paulette Edington of TriYounity LLC in Warren, Ohio to discuss the implementation of the Guin Fit Family Wellness Program. Paulette shares her experience bringing this evidence-based program to local families, the impact it has had on participants, and the importance of creating supportive environments where children and caregivers can build healthier habits together. Join us for a conversation about community partnership, family wellness, and the power of investing in healthier futures. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hello, and welcome to Wellness in the Valley, a podcast powered by the Gwynfit Initiative at Youngstown State University. This podcast is all about real people and real stories, the partners and leaders who are helping to make healthy food, movement, and wellness easier and more accessible for everyone in our region, as well as the residents whose lives have been impacted. Each episode brings insight, inspiration, and simple ways to take small steps towards lasting change. Because in the Valley, wellness truly starts with all of us. I'm your host, Kelly Frazier. Let's get into today's conversation. Hello, and welcome to an episode of Wellness in the Valley Podcast, hosted by the Gwen Fit Initiative at YSU. Today we are meeting with Paulette Eddington, owner of TriUnity LLC in the lovely downtown Warren. Good day, Paulette.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Good day, Kelly. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:59

I'm well, thank you. So we are talking to you today in regards to your partnership with the Gwen Fit Family Wellness Program. TriUnity was an implementing partner and you also facilitated sessions as a coach. So how did you first get connected with GwenFit Family Wellness?

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Well, I first was connected with Gwen Fit Family Wellness with a conversation with you, Kelly, coming out to tour TriU just to see if it was going to be a fit to meet the family's needs, that we were able to have what was provided, what was to be able to provide what was needed for the family. So that was our first encounter. And I was excited when I got a phone call to join, join in on the program.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Yeah. So what m what motivated you to become a coach and program for this partner? What spoke to you about the program?

SPEAKER_01 1:51

A part of the mission at Try You is to work with the family as a whole, and not just with their physical, but also their mirror, their their emotional and their spiritual, which is their belief system. So the Gwyn Fit program really aligned with the mission that we had for the family. So it was just a natural fit. And I saw the synergies between the two organizations, and it was just exciting to join.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Awesome. So when we look at the experience of the program, it was a 12-week program. Yes. Um, and so that was about three months of good work and interaction with the families. What really stood out from your experience with leading the sessions and working with the families?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

One of the things that stood out is just how much support families need. One in understanding portion sizes and different opportunities when families have so much stress to make sure that they're providing healthy meals for their children. So that stood out. But also just how families are not interacting on a fun level with each other anymore. So uh the Gwen Fit program really helped to get the families together. Let your kids measure, let your kids help in the kitchen, let them be active participants in preparing their own meals. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Can you share a story that kind of captures the transformation you've seen in participants? Um, maybe a behavior change. Um what can you what kind of stories did you did you see?

SPEAKER_01 3:30

One of the stories that I was able to see is about eight weeks or so into the program, the young people began to challenge us. We were fortunate to be able to do this in our summer program. So working with families that we were familiar with and the kids were comfortable with us. So for them to take the information when we uh would serve breakfast or lunch, and they use the information they learned in GwynFit and say, hey, this isn't the best choice. You know, um, we've learned all this information about portions and good sugars and different things like that. So for them to feel comfortable enough to ask those questions, it let us know that they were learning and that they were desiring to make the change.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Oh, yeah. They were internalizing that and putting it into practice. So that's really exciting to see. So when we talk about um families, we know that families, um, especially in today's climate, they're they're busy. They're they're really, really busy. So, what challenges do families often face when trying to make lifestyle changes together, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_01 4:37

So part of it for the class was hard just trying to get families who are juggling schedules anyway, with school and over the summer with different sports, different activities, trying to keep their kids actively engaged. So outside time, one, getting them off of their electronics and going outside and doing some things together, not just sending them outside, but also in finding time and ways to create meals. Um, a lot of people don't know about the shortcuts. So, you know, doing things in an Instapot or, you know, versus taking an hour to cook a pot of greens, now you can do things a little faster. So um letting parents know that there are other choices out there to be able to make healthy meals and save some time.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

Now, how do you keep families motivated and supported beyond the program? How do we make sure that what they learn during that 12 weeks it stays with them and they continue to put it into practice?

SPEAKER_01 5:36

So, with this being our first time doing the program, and these are families that we're familiar with, a lot of them we communicate with on a regular basis. So, in after school programming, some some of the kids still participate. We do have um staff that is able to reach out to them. And because we were fortunate, and Gwen Fit has the wellness component that we have Line Dance or we have Zumba or we have the Kettlebell classes, that the families are able to come and still participate in those classes. And we're also fortunate to have that partnership with the stepping out program with Mercy Health that puts that out there for the families to be able to come for free. So we're still able to support them and we've let them know that we're an open door, that if they have any questions or concerns, just reach out and let us know.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

So you would say that the Gwen Fit Family Wellness Program maybe is that kick start to get them on the path, and then the programming that you do offer year-round is kind of what you use to keep them coming and keep them going. Um, the the lion dance, the strength training, all of that stuff, the Gwen Fit Family Wellness Program just couples that with the nutrition piece for that 12 weeks.

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Yes, and I think the word kickstart is is a great way to state that because we don't ever want the families to feel like they're being judged by their choices and then to make them feel like you're not doing something properly. Right. So we're just kickstarting something, we're just supporting you and and trying to show you a different way to do some of the great things that you're already doing and then to give your family better choices.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

Yeah. So what do you think makes the Gwenfit Family Wellness approach different from other health programs? Why would someone go with that program?

SPEAKER_01 7:31

I think the curriculum is set up very well. It's it's an intense curriculum, but it is done in a fun way. So the way they did some matching and some searches, and it's done on a level where we have to understand that every family, every grown-up's comprehension level might be a little different. So it's broken down well, and it also encampes the grown-up as well as the child, so that they're actively participating in their wellness choices together. We often focus on the child, but they're not the ones doing the shopping. The grown-up is. So this curriculum uh works well to have the family working as a team in their health choices, not just the grown-up doing it on their own.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Did you have any challenges with maybe some participants in the family unit participating more than maybe other family members in the family unit?

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Yes. I mean, there's always challenges. Um, and some of the families, you know, just with their work schedule. So we did have times where kids participated on their own. And being that we were a day program, the kids were with us all day. But we were able to have staff or volunteers to be able to support them in that. We did have uh a couple kids that were in foster care. So when the foster parent could not be there, there were other family support teams that were able to be there to come to our family sessions for them. So we thought about those things and we were able to overcome those challenges.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Wonderful. So when those other members of the family unit aren't able to participate, do you follow up with them? Do they get any materials that they may have missed, or do do we encourage the other family members, the children or the stand-in members to sort of um bring them the missing members, the absent members up to speed?

SPEAKER_01 9:33

We we always made sure that the families got the packets if they were not able to be there. And in most cases, the families were able to complete it. Okay. The packets, and then they had to return it because that some of that information had to be turned in so that we could document what was done. So there were a couple instances where the family did them on their time and then turned it into us.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Right. So would you say this curriculum allows you to meet the families where they are as far as their scheduling and availability and all of that? Do you think that this program has enough flexibility to do that?

SPEAKER_01 10:09

I believe it does, but I also think um moving forward that with other coaches, there's some creativity that has to be sure be known, but it also is important that we know our audience, that we know our families, and that um when we're working with people in the community that we take a little bit of time prior to starting the curriculum to understand their needs. So um some people are auditory learners, some people are very visual, some people are hands-on. The curriculum allows for that. We just have to make sure we continue to be mindful of that.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Right, right. You know, because but that is the most important thing when we're trying to do programming such as these um within the community, that we do choose programming or implement programming that, yes, is culturally responsive and meets the families where they are, so this way they are uh able to absorb that information and put it into practice. So that's great that that program the curriculum provides that. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start making healthier choices with their family?

SPEAKER_01 11:13

I would say don't just say, I will try. I often tell people, try to stand up. And they just look at me. Yeah. Just do it. Yeah, just make the first step and and don't just say, Well, I'll try, I'll try. No, just make the first step. So whether that's adding a healthy vegetable or uh getting up and walking for two minutes, putting the remote across the room, just start making the small, healthy choices, start cutting one thing out, yeah, would be things that I would say to families, but also give them the option to choose what that one thing would be. So to give them a variety and then uh let them choose.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

So really trying to demolish that all or nothing mindset. Right. Yeah, yeah. Small changes, that's that's the key. So, what's one thing you wish more people knew about community wellness?

SPEAKER_01 12:08

I think we all need to be mindful and recognize that it takes a team. Yeah. It does, especially when it comes to our children. So if we have the families, the grown-ups in the home trying to make healthy choices, we need the school district in the food that they serve for breakfast and lunch to be mindful of their healthy choices. We need community organizations that when they're having community events, um, we're in Halloween season. But does it always mean that we have to pass out candy? True. You know, it could be a toothbrush or a sticker or some carrots or pretzels, you know. So to make those healthy choices, but it it takes us all to be mindful of what we're passing out and what we're giving at our events, even churches when you're when you're having dinner, um, after church or at events, that the church punch doesn't have as much sugar. Right. You know, so it it takes the entire community for us to make change.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

It does. And you know, I remember as a kid um when we would go trick-or-treating, we had certain neighbors who maybe like one or two in the neighborhood who would give fruit or give a vegetable, and we just we're not going to Mr. So-and-so's house. We're not going to see Mrs. Such and so. She's giving away apples. But I think if we normalize it, if more if that was the norm in the community, you know, that kids will get maybe a trail mix or get some fruit or or a sticker. Um, I think that that would that would make some change. That would make some change if that was normalized. So when you think about Gwen Fit, what is one word you would use to describe or one word or one phrase? Because one word is hard.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

I think I would say relationships are everything. Because when we build relationships with families, with people, then they're more willing to accept what we're trying to provide, what we offer to them. And when they know that we care about them, we're not just passing along information for the sake of passing on information. We truly care about your physical and your emotional well-being. And I believe GwenFit does that.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

And then for your to kind of close this out, our conversation out, what is your hope for the future of this sort of work? What does sustainability look like?

SPEAKER_01 14:34

So, my hope, and I have talked with the other coaches that we have at TriUNity, is that we've tried to live the Gwen Fit curriculum also, and that we incorporate that in the classes that we're already doing and try to put bits and pieces and reminders in. But it is a hope that more people in the community embrace the programming that Gwen Fit offers. I would love to see uh transportation as a part that would help us to be able to sustain the program moving forward. So with more community partners finding out what we're doing and what's going on, that will help to sustain the program. And especially now with um, we don't know what changes are going to be made in the community. So for people to be able to learn how to cook those staple meals that will go a lot further, I believe will help make this a sustainable program. And parents are going to be looking for more ways um to be able to feed their families at a lower cost, also.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Yes, that is that is the truth. Um, you mentioned transportation, so you you see that you see transportation as the big barrier. Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. Um so programming should include transportation because we want to get people we we want to meet people wherever they are, but if they can't well, we we want people to come to us, but if they can't get to us, we can't meet them. So I I definitely can understand that. Yes. So okay. Paula, is there anything else you would like to add or share about your experience um implementing the Gwynfit Family Wellness Program?

SPEAKER_01 16:16

I'm just excited to be a part and I look forward to continuing. And then I think we all, anyone out there that's listening today, just take one step. You know, cut something out or add something healthy. Drink just a little bit more water than you are when you drink. And I think we'll all begin to see some necessary changes for our well-being. Absolutely. Thank you, Kelly.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Great closing remarks. One step at a time, one vegetable, one cup of water. Those are the things that make the difference. Paulette, thank you so much for taking some time today to share about your experience with the Gwynfit Family Wellness Program and implementing that program and engaging with the communities. We look forward to continuing this work with you, and thank you for being with us today.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

Thank you.